Six Moose on Players to Watch list

Danny Walters
Photo - Mooseheads Twitter

With such a young team, our Halifax Mooseheads have six players that have been named on the Central Scouting initial Players to Watch list for the 2026 NHL Draft. The list was released on Monday and features 55 QMJHL players with two of them being given an 'A' rating, which indicates a first round candidate; Egor Shilov of the Victoriaville Tigres and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada's Xavier Villeneuve. 

Goaltender Nicolas Cirka, defenseman Eddy Dolye and forward Will Bent were among the 'C' players that scouts think will be drafted in the 4th or 5th rounds next June. This next rating is new this year with 6th and 7th round candidates being given a 'W', Herd forwards Caylen Blake, Oleg Kulebiakin and Daniel Walters are part of this group. 

The projected #1 pick is forward Gavin McKenna who currently is suiting up for the Penn State Nittany Lions and is the fourth youngest player in men's college hockey. He is just one of the few former CHL players who have moved to the NCAA after the rule change. 

Congratulations to our guys and all the players who are prospects for the upcoming draft. It will be interesting to see how many Mooseheads actually get selected in June. For the full list, click here.

Q PROSPECTS GAME UPDATE
We know there is going to be 3 Mooseheads playing in tomorrow's QMJHL Prospects Game which is being hosted by the Sherbrooke Phoenix, but it was announced when the league released the two teams' rosters on Wednesday that a fourth will participate. 

Tignish, PE native Eddy Doyle has been invited to play in the game as an injury replacement. Congrats to Eddy on getting this opportunity, he will join Walters, Kulebiakin and Bent in Sherbrooke. 

Team Crosby will have Kulebiakin and Walters on it with Bent and Doyle are set to suit up for Team Lafleur. Check out the full rosters here. I can't find any info on if the game will be on television but for people in Sherbrooke who are interested, you can get tickets. 

We’re all set for the first practices before tomorrow’s QMJHL Prospects Game! 🤩#ProspectsGame | @BFLCANADA pic.twitter.com/93n2x5T7gC

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) October 20, 2025

Game Day 10 & 11: vs Regiment

PREVIEW - Our Halifax Mooseheads are in the midst of a six game home-stand and will welcome the Newfoundland Regiment for a two match set on Friday and Saturday night. The Regiment relocated to St. John's, NL this past summer after spending 27 years in Bathurst, NB. Newfoundland kicked off their inaugural season well, defeating the reigning champion Moncton Wildcats twice in back to back games to start the year but they find themselves with a 5-5-0-0 record going into tonight's contest. Halifax meanwhile is preforming better than most people expected them to early on in this campaign, with 6 victories over 9 games so far. Assuming they keep to what they posted on the selection form for half season packages, Moose Country should see an East Coast Kitchen Party this weekend at the Scotiabank Centre. Despite their record, the Regiment do have the top two current scoring leaders in the Q so our Herd will have to play well defensively against them. 

Coverage
TV: Eastlink | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @MC_MooseCountry

Overall records
Regiment: 5-5-0-0 = 10 points (5th in Maritimes division, 12th overall)
Mooseheads: 6-3-0-0 = 12 points (2nd in Maritimes division, 5th overall)

Leading scorers
HAL: Shawn Carrier 8pts (5G & 3A), Quinn Kennedy 8pts (5G & 3A), Oleg Kulebyakin 8pts (5G & 3A)
NFL: Justin Larose 19pts (7G & 12A), Marek Danicek 17pts (6G & 11A), Louis-Francois Belanger 12pts (6G & 6A)

Head-to-head
This is the first match of the season between these two teams. Halifax had a 2-3-3-0 record against the Titan in their last year in Bathurst while they went 6-2-0-0 versus the Mooseheads. Emile Perron had the overtime winner as Acadie-Bathurst came back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in extra time. Callum Aucoin had 2 goals for Halifax in the road loss. 

Out of town
Wildcats vs. Tigres - 7:00 p.m.
Islanders vs. Foreurs - 7:00 p.m.
Drakkar vs. Eagles - 8:00 p.m.
Armada vs. Voltigeurs - 8:00 p.m.
Oceanic vs. Phoenix - 8:00 p.m.
Sagueneens vs. Remparts - 8:00 p.m.
Olympiques vs. Cataractes - 8:00 p.m.

After the buzzer
Halifax will finish their home stand next Saturday when they welcome the Cape Breton Eagles for DND Appreciation Night. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

New record is difference in victory

Photo - Herd website

A new record was set by the Halifax Mooseheads on Wednesday night and it was the difference in picking up a 4-2 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres. Rookie Oleg Kulebyakin scored his 5th goal of the season to kick off the fun at the 7:34 mark of the first period. Halifax's third goal scored by Caylen Blake, his first of the year, 62 seconds later gave the Mooseheads a 3-0 lead and a new franchise record for the fastest time to score three goals. Victoriaville pushed back in the middle frame and Alexey Vlasov scored early on to cut the lead to 3-1. The Tigres came in to the game with the QMJHL's best power play percentage but were provided with only one opportunity which the Herd killed off. Overall it was an interesting game between the two youngest teams in the league this season. 

FINAL: Tigres 2 at Mooseheads 4
Stars: 3. Carlos Handel HAL | 2. Liam Kilfoil HAL | 1. Owen Bresson HAL
Attendance: 5,745
MC's Top Herd: Liam Kilfoil

GAME LOG
First period
7:34 HAL Oleg Kulebyakin (5) | A: Doyle & Walters
8:17 HAL Shawn Carrier (5) | A: Kennedy & Kilfoil
8:36 HAL Caylen Blake (1) | Bent & Santini

Second period 
3:46 VIC Alexey Vlasov (6) | A: Paquet 
16:54 HAL Liam Kilfoil (2) | A: MacPherson & Doyle

Third period
6:28 VIC Egor Shilov (5) | A: Vlasov & Korneyev

Powerplay: VIC - 0-for-1; HAL - 0-for-1
Shots: 33-31 in favour of Halifax

Did not play - Justin Chiras (healthy), Lincoln Waugh (injured), Alec Nesreddine (healthy) & Antoine Fontaine (healthy)

Next game
Our Halifax Mooseheads will welcome the newly named Newfoundland Regiment for two games on Friday and Saturday. Puck drops at 7 p.m. 

Herd Word

BEST GOALIE
Goaltender Owen Bresson of our Halifax Mooseheads was named to the Team of the Week on Monday after going 2-0-0-0 during the previous weekend with wins over Baie-Comeau and Moncton. It's the first time this season that a Herd player has been named to the team. Bresson also had a 0.97 GAA between the two matches. Congrats Owen!

Photo - QMJHL website

MACKINNON TRADED
Former Herd defenseman Dylan MacKinnon has been traded from the Moncton Wildcats to the Charlottetown Islanders. The announcement was made on Tuesday, and could be done because MacKinnon is a 20 year old. Moncton receives 3 draft picks in return. Dylan was a healthy scratch in the Wildcats match against the Mooseheads on Saturday so this would explain why. 

The Moncton, NB native has no points so far this season but has only played two games. 'For the Islanders, who currently sit 1st place in the QMJHL, this acquisition sends a clear message: the team is all-in on a championship push. MacKinnon's arrival adds experience, toughness, and a winning mentality to a defensive group that already ranks among the league's best,' says Charlottetown's press release. 

QMJHL PROSPECTS GAME
The QMJHL announced on Thursday the names of the 40 players who will participate in the first-ever QMJHL Prospects Game on October 21 at the Palais Leopold-Drolet in Sherbrooke. A few of the young men named are currently playing for Halifax this season; forwards Daniel Walters, Oleg Kulebyakin and William Bent will take part. 

Congratulations to our three players on being named and good luck. The rosters of the two teams participating in the game, which will be called Team Lafleur and Team Crosby, will be announced in the coming days. Full release here. 

THIS IS MOOSE COUNTRY
The second season of the team's podcast; This is Moose Country, is underway and episode 2 was released earlier this week. Episode 1 talked about the home opener and the 2025-26 roster plus Scott MacIntosh and Brad Cuzner were joined by new coaches Brad MacKenzie and Josh Hepditch. Below is the video for the most recent episode where Herd alumni Zach Fucale joined the hosts to talk about his time with Halifax, getting traded to Quebec plus more. 

 

Photo - Avalanche Twitter

FRANCHISE LEADER
The Colorado Avalanche have a new all-time leader in points since the franchise relocated and I am sure it is no surprise that it is former Moose player Nathan MacKinnon. The 30-year-old recorded an assist in the Avs opening game on Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Kings. It was his 1,016th point (367 goals, 649 points) in 871 games to break a tie with Joe Sakic (1,015 points in 870 games). 

"He means a ton," Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said of MacKinnon. "He drives our team on a nightly basis, offensively. ... Just so many things he does so well, and I'm not surprised that he's, yet again, breaking another franchise record. You know, it's just kind of what he does, so exciting to see."

Keep it going Nate, congrats on becoming the points leader! 

Back & forth battle goes to Halifax

Photo - Herd Instagram

The Halifax Mooseheads have won their 4th game at home to start their season as they picked up two points against the Rimouski Oceanic on Thursday night, getting a 5-4 victory. Halifax was pretty dominate all game but there were times, mostly early in the third period, that the puck just seemed to bounce all over the place. Junior Gaulberto got the Mooseheads on the board at the 6:58 mark of the opening frame with his first QMJHL goal and that's how the teams would go into the intermission with the home team up 1-0 after 20 minutes. Former Herd forward Lou Levesque tied the game up for Rimouski about midway through the second. Rookie Cam Minella also scored his first career goal to give Halifax back the lead but once again the Oceanic would find a way to suck the air out of the Moose Country crowd. Rimouski took a 3-2 lead early in the third taking advantage of the back and forth bouncy action. Veteran Shawn Carrier scored twice in the final frame, including back handing a rebound into the net to make it 3-3. He would also record a shorthanded empty net goal with exactly one minute left to seal the game.

FINAL: Oceanic 4 at Mooseheads 5
Stars: 3. Emile Duquet RIM | 2. Paulo Gualberto Jr HAL | 1. Shawn Carrier HAL
Attendance: 6,532
MC's Top Herd: Paulo Gualberto Jr. 

GAME LOG
First period
6:58 HAL Paulo Gualberto Jr. (1) | A: MacPherson & Doyle

Second period
8:36 RIM Lou Levesque (1) | A: None

13:22 HAL Cameron Minella (1) | A: McNab & Gaulberto Jr.

18:40 RIM Emile Duquet (4) | A: Dube & Romaniak

Third period
3:26 RIM Justin Beaulieu (1) | A: Duquet & Dube
7:13 HAL Shawn Carrier (3) | A: Phillips & Kennedy
17:46 HAL Connor MacPherson (2) | A: L'Italien
19:00 HAL Shawn Carrier (4), SH EN | A: None
19:31 RIM Logan Roop (2) | A: Czaja & Nappiot

Powerplay: RIM - 0-for-2; HAL - 0-for-0
Shots: 42-30 in favour of Halifax

Did not play - Alec Nesreddine (healthy), Lincoln Waugh (injured), Mathieu Taillefer (injured) & Antoine Fontaine (healthy)

Next game

Our Mooseheads will continue this six game homestand when they welcome the reigning champion Moncton Wildcats for 90's Night on Saturday. Puck drops at 7 p.m. 

QMJHL Names Scholastic POM

Every month, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announces a Scholastic Player of the Month which recognizes a player on each team with his performance on ice and in the classroom. The player is selected based on their school results, their implication, the school-hockey conciliation, their team spirit and their on-ice performances. 

For your Halifax Mooseheads, Lincoln Waugh was named the Scholastic Player of the Month for September. 

Team		Player	Program	Academic Establishment
	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	Aiden Kirkwood	Grade 12	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Blainville-Boisbriand Armada	Théo Lemieux	Sciences humaines	CÉGEP de Terrebonne
	Cape Breton Eagles	Aiden McCullough	Independant	Cape Breton University
	Charlottetown Islanders	Anthony Flanagan	Grade 12	Ontario Virtual School
	Chicoutimi Saguenéens	Thomas Desruisseaux	Sciences humaines	CÉGEP de Chicoutimi
	Drummondville Voltigeurs	Owen Ronson	High School	Blyth Academy
	Gatineau Olympiques	Noah Florent	Grade 12	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Halifax Mooseheads	Lincoln Waugh	Business	University of Prince Edward Island
	Moncton Wildcats	Riley Sampson	Ingénierie	University of New Brunswick (UNB)
	Newfoundland Regiment	Chase Anderson	Business Administration	Acadia University
	Québec Remparts	Freddy Meyer	Grade 12	Nebraska University High School
	Rimouski Océanic	Mathys Dubé	Techniques policières	CÉGEP de Rimouski
	Rouyn-Noranda huskies	William Vézina	Sciences de la nature	CÉGEP de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
	Shawinigan Cataractes	Noah McKinnon	Grade 12	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Sherbrooke Phoenix	Cameron Haye	Grade 11	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Saint John Sea Dogs	Dylan Rozzi	High School	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Val-d’Or Foreurs	Jacob Gouchie	Grade 12	Northern Pre-University (NPU)
	Victoriaville Tigres	Olivier Laverdière	Sciences humaines	CÉGEP de Victoriaville

NCAA season begins tonight

Photo - NCAA Hockey Facebook

This is not a post that I thought I would ever write but with the rule change back in 2024 that players who skated in the Canadian Hockey League could continue their careers in the NCAA, that is where we are. 

It is disappointing that these young men are not staying in Canada to play university hockey especially since as a fan, I would like to see them after they leave the Q however I understand. There are a handful of former Halifax Mooseheads players who will suit up for teams in the United States. 

Jacob Steinman - Bowling Green State Falcons (CCHL)

Mathis Rousseau - Maine Black Bears (Hockey East)

Brady Schultz - Quinnipiac Bobcats (ECAC Hockey)

Markus Vidicek - Quinnipiac Bobcats (ECAC Hockey)

Stephane Huard - Sacred Heart Pioneers (AHA)

Alex Carr - New Hampshire Wildcats (Hockey East)

This is the first full season that CHL players are able to play NCAA hockey. Markus Vidicek, Brady Schultz and Quinnipiac will visit Boston College to start the season on Friday. Also happening this evening, Alex Carr and New Hampshire are set to host Mathis Rousseau and Maine. Sacred Heart and Bowling Green begin their season on Saturday. 

Good luck to these guys during the season. 

Game Day 5: vs Drakkar

PREVIEW - Our Halifax Mooseheads welcome the last place Baie-Comeau Drakkar for the first student night of the season. This is also the first game against a Quebec province based team in 2025-26. Halifax will look to get back in the win column and end their four game home stand on a high note. Baie-Comeau is on a seven game road trip because their arena is getting renovated but have not gotten a victory yet. The Drakkar were close on Saturday though, losing 2-1 in a shootout and are last place as well in goals scored. It'll be important to get points in games like this before the holiday break for Halifax as it'll probably determine whether or not the Mooseheads make the playoffs. So grab some friends and take advantage of the $10 student tickets along with deals on alcohol tonight, if you are of age of course. 

Coverage
TV: FloHockey | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @MC_MooseCountry

Overall records
Drakkar: 0-3-0-1 = 1 point (6th in East division, 18th overall)
Mooseheads: 2-2-0-0 = 4 points (5th in Maritimes division, 12th overall)

Leading scorers
HAL: Oleg Kulebyakin 4pts (2G & 2A), Shawn Carrier 3pts (2G & 1A), Quinn Kennedy 3pts (2G & 1A)
BAC: Charles-Louis Plourde 4pts (0G & 4A), Justin Gendron 2pts (1G & 1A), Alexis Michaud 2pts (1G & 1A)

Head-to-head
This is the first match of the season series between these two teams. Halifax had a 0-1-0-1 record against the Drakkar last season while Baie-Comeau went 2-0-0-0 versus the Mooseheads. Anthony Lavoie had a goal and an assist to propel the Drakkar to a 4-3 shootout victory in their last meeting on January 30. 

Out of town
Eagles vs. Sagueneens - 7:00 p.m.
Olympiques vs. Islanders - 8:00 p.m.

After the buzzer
Halifax will hit the road for a match up against the Moncton Wildcats at the Avenir Centre on October 5. Puck drops at 3:00 p.m.